


Safe

by belovedstill



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Police Officer Dean, Student Castiel, in some way!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:57:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9336008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belovedstill/pseuds/belovedstill
Summary: It was only Castiel's luck that when he was at his most vulnerable - sleep-deprived, stressed, and with exams looming over his head - he also got a stalker added to the equation. A drabble full of hope that help might come from other strangers shopping at 3 AM.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have to study for exams so of course this is the perfect time to start posting my old stories on here. Originally posted on [my tumblr](http://casinthongs.tumblr.com/).

Castiel was standing by the fridges in the 24h supermarket when he felt the telltale prickle in the back of his neck.

It was 2 AM on Friday, he had got one hour of sleep in the last two days, studying his ass off for the finals; he just wanted to buy something to eat and get back home.

Maybe it was his exhaustion talking, he wondered, discreetly glancing around. There were two women in the same aisle as him but both were busy with their shopping.

Cas sighed and shook his head, opening one of the fridges and grabbing a bottle of milk.

He had probably just imagined it.

He hadn’t imagined it, somebody was watching him, no matter where he went. He heard footsteps when he walked through the bakery aisle, heavy breathing in ‘fish & meat’, he even went to the children and toys section of the shop, only to see a bald, older man clad in a black coat standing nearby, stealing stealthy glances of him when he thought Castiel wasn’t looking.

It must have been almost 3 AM now and Cas was silently freaking out. He was clutching his bottle of milk, the only item he had managed to grab during his almost one-hour shopping, as he walked fast through the aisles, seemingly alone; he knew he wasn’t alone, though, and that was the problem.

Castiel knew he couldn’t stay in the shop forever. He had to go back home and get at least an hour of sleep before having to attend his lectures.

His blood was on its way to growing completely cold in his veins when he took a turn and walked into the cereal aisle.

Somebody was already there; a man dressed in navy pants and blue shirt was comparing two cereal boxes with a frown on his face. A shopping basket stood by his feet.

Castiel had never felt more relieved in his life at the sight of a stranger.

By this point he just wanted to get rid of his stalker, so without thinking too long, he quickly approached the man, hoping for the best.

“I found milk,” he said, loudly, and put the bottle into the stranger’s basket. “There’s no point in buying cereal without milk.”

The man’s eyes snapped to him, widening in surprise. “Um… thanks?”

Damn, Cas thought in distress, the man wasn’t going to follow up.

“You’re welcome,” he said instead, smiling a little too wide. The prickle in his neck continued, urging him to act. With a shaky breath, Castiel took a step closer to the stranger and pulled one of the cereal boxes out of his hand, replacing it with his stress-cold fingers. “I thought we agreed on no more sweet cereal. Those really aren’t good for you.”

The man’s hand tightened around his on instinct, before going lax again. “Excuse me?”

Castiel looked over the stranger’s shoulder, immediately noticing that his stalker lingered at the end of the aisle. He clenched his hand on the man’s and stepped right into his personal space so it looked like he was hugging him.

“Please, help me,” he whispered, feeling the man grow tense against him, “Somebody’s been following me, please.”

The man froze and slowly wriggled his hand out of Castiel’s.

Cas’s heart dropped. His stalker was going to find out that he really was alone in the store and he would follow the Novak the moment he left and, God, Cas had never wanted to be back at his tiny apartment so badly before.

He swallowed nervously and was about to lean away from the man, his palms shaking with fear now, when he felt an arm slide around his waist, gently pulling him back.

“I don’t like the healthy crap you always buy, though,” the man spoke, loud enough so the stalker could hear. He leaned his head down then, nearly pressing his lips to Castiel’s hair, and added in a hushed tone, “My name’s Dean, I’m a police officer. I’ll help you.”

Castiel closed his eyes and breathed out with relief. His whole body relaxed and he couldn’t help it when he leaned against the policeman. He finally felt safe.

The man—Dean—put the cereal back onto the shelf and pretended to focus on other boxes, all the time holding Cas close. The Novak didn’t complain – right now the police officer was the only thing keeping him up on his feet.

“Are they still there?” Dean asked quietly after a second, and when Cas nodded, he sighed. “Close enough for me to catch them?”

This time, Castiel shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He took a small breath and glanced over Dean’s shoulder. “I think—I think he’s leaving…”

Dean grunted something and reached into his pocket, pulling out a mobile phone. Castiel watched as he dialed some number and put the phone close to his ear.

“What did he look like?” Dean asked, locking the phone between his ear and shoulder. He grabbed two boxes of Cheerios and threw them into his shopping basket.

“Um… Black coat, bald, a bit bulky, I think—”

“Bulky bald man in black is about to leave the store,” Dean spoke to somebody through the phone, taking it back to his hand, “Make sure he doesn’t escape.”

The person Dean talked to must have agreed to do that because he nodded and put his phone back into his pocket.

“Do you want to buy anything more?” Dean asked, grabbing his basket without letting go of Cas.

The Novak shook his head. “I just want to go home,” he said, tiredly.

Dean patted his arm and ushered them towards the tills. “I’ll escort you.”

“Okay.”

When they left the store, a tall man leaning against a police car waved in their direction. “Dean!” he called, quickly approaching them. “The man’s in the car. What’s it all about?”

Castiel didn’t pay much attention to what was being said after that. He was only vaguely aware of giving the men his name and address when prompted. Somehow, he also remembered learning that the other man in a police uniform was Dean’s brother and duty partner.

Dean had walked him home and to his apartment door when Castiel finally managed to focus again.

“There you are,” Dean said, smiling. He withdrew his arm from around Cas and reached his hand to the man, palm up. “Keys, please. I don’t think you’ll open it half-asleep.”

Castiel grumbled a little, but fished out his keys and gave them to the police officer. He rubbed his tired eyes. “Not my fault, finals are such an assbutt.”

Dean snorted. “What?” he asked, watching him with amusement as he unlocked the door.

Cas frowned. “What?” he echoed.

“You need to go to bed, Cas,” Dean told him, pushing the door open. He reached inside and felt the wall of Castiel’s apartment for a light switch, turning it on when he found it.

The Novak squinted his eyes and groaned again.

Dean chuckled and gently ushered him into the lit foyer. “Before you go to sleep, though…” He reached into the bag with his grocery shopping and, to Castiel’s surprise, pulled out the bottle of milk Cas had put in his basket back at the store. “I think that’s yours.”

Castiel blinked at the milk, instinctively taking it when Dean gave it to him. “But… You paid for it. Let me pay you—”

“No, it’s okay,” Dean said, shaking his head.

“But you paid…”

Dean sighed. “Tell you what.” He patted his pockets, searching for something, before finally finding a pen. Out of his bag, he pulled out a box of Cheerios. “If you still want to pay me back when you wake up tomorrow,” he said, writing a set of numbers on the box, “just give me a call.”

He smiled then, again, maybe a little nervously this time, and before Castiel managed to say anything, Dean gave him the cereal, wished him a good night and closed the door from the outside.

Next morning, Castiel woke up in an exceptionally good mood. He still felt amazing even after a cold shower, pouring honey cereal into his warmed milk before he had to go to his lectures. He looked at Dean’s number, smiling and reaching for his phone to save it in his contacts, only to freeze in surprise. Dean’s number wasn’t the only thing written on the box.

Under the numbers, Dean’s handwriting said:

_Enjoy your breakfast  
\- Dean_

_PS You can always ask me out.  
I’ll let you pay for my coffee ;)_

The man found himself smiling when he grabbed his phone and quickly texted the number on the box.

**To: Dean**  
_You’ll really let me pay for your coffee? Castiel Novak._

He didn’t even get to eat more of his cereal before his phone beeped with a new message.

**From: Dean**  
_Only on the first date. I’m paying on the second. Dean Winchester._

His heart stopped when he read Dean’s words, only to start beating much faster than before.

**To: Dean**  
_On the second?_

**From: Dean**  
_I do hope so, yeah._

Castiel couldn’t help but let out a relieved laughter at the reply. He smiled as he typed his answer:

**To: Dean**  
_I’m back home at 2PM._

**From: Dean**  
_I’ll come get you._

**From: Dean**  
_I promise to get you home safe afterwards, too._

**To: Dean**  
_Thank you :)_

**From: Dean**  
_No problem. See you then!_

Castiel put his phone down and grinned at his soggy cereal.

Today was going to be a good day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm Cas but without a cute police officer in my life. And no stalkers. Unless you call exams, my worries, and writer's block stalkers, then... _man,_ I could use my own Dean.


End file.
